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Employers

Some employers request that new or existing staff members take urine drug screens.

This is more common in workplaces that require high levels of safety. An employer may be more likely to test a person who operates vehicles or machinery, for example.

Employee drug testing laws differ, and a person should check with local authorities.

Which drugs can a urine test detect?

A urine drug screen can detect a range of drugs. These include:

alcohol

amphetamines

barbiturates

benzodiazepines

cocaine

marijuana

methamphetamine

opioids

phencyclidine (PCP)

A urine test can indicate the level of alcohol in a person's body. However, if a person suspects alcohol consumption, they are more likely to request a breath or blood test.

Urine screens can also detect nicotine and cotinine, which the body produces when it breaks down nicotine.

Procedure and types of urine test

A doctor or trained technician will usually carry out the urine drug screen.

There are two types of urine drug screens, and both require a sample.

An immunoassay (IA) test is the most common type, because it is the quickest and most cost-effective.

However, it can give a false-positive result. This shows the presence of a drug when a person has not used it.

A second type of urine screen can confirm the results of an IA test. The second test is called gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

GC-MS is a more reliable method of screening than IA. It can also detect a wider range of drugs.

Usually, providers only use GC-MS tests as follow-ups because they are more expensive, and the results take longer to receive.

How reliable are urine drug screens?

Eating poppy seeds prior to the test may give a false-positive result.

Urine drug screens use cut-off levels. This means that a result will only be positive if the amount of the drug is above a certain level.

The amount of the drug will appear on results in nanograms per milliliter: ng/ml.

Having cut-off levels helps prevent false-positive results. These can occur when a person has not taken an illegal drug, but they have eaten food containing a legal amount of hemp, coca, or opium.

For example, eating poppy seeds before a urine drug screen can, in rare cases, cause the test to detect the presence of opium. The United States Anti-Doping Agency advise against eating poppy seeds before taking a drug test.

Cut-off levels also reduce the chance of a person testing positive after only passive exposure to a drug. Secondhand smoke is one example of passive exposure.

Also, both IA and GC-MS tests can produce false-negative results. These fail to indicate that a person has recently done drugs. A false-negative result can occur if the urine is very diluted.

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